Letter Addressed To The Fire

Poppy Contract: Second Night

Nothing really happened for the rest of the night.

I waited for Mother Heidi to exit her room when the sun came up. When I noticed that she stayed with the administrators just outside her office after breakfast, I decided to rise, burn the documents in the trash bin, take a bath, and light another cigarette to cover the burnt smell of papers. Then, I went to sleep.

-

What time is it already?

My head is aching as I rise from my bed. I really hate cigarettes. I fix my bed and head out for lunch.

Didalus is nowhere to be found in the dining hall, but I order some food from the food counter and eat on our table anyway. There is less people at this hour in the dining hall. I guess people really only come back at night. I also notice that Mother Heidi is not on the administrators' table. In fact, she is not present here at all.

So, I return my tray to the counter after eating, and head to her office.

Let's start the day.

"Come in," she says after I knock on the door.

I enter. "Ah, dear Azure. It's you! How may I help you?" She smiles sweetly.

"I just woke up, actually," I say as I feign sleepiness. "I thought about it and wanted to ask for your opinion on something."

Mother Heidi sets her documents aside and gestures for me to sit where I sat last night. "What is it?"

"I..." I act as if I was hesitating. "I thought... maybe..." I breathe and say, "What do you think of me going back to the Church to personally apologize to the Pope?"

I see mischief through her sweet smile. "Why, that would be a good idea!" Mother Heidi exclaims.

I widen my eyes at her to show innocent hope. "You really... think so?"

"Yes!" He smile widens, and she solemnly says, "A personal apology is always a sincere one. The vulnerability that your presence brings shows that you are ready for the consequences of your actions." She continues with a smirk on her face, "I am sure the Pope would understand and forgive you."

We both know the Pope's not like that. You really want to see me fall, huh.

I exhale loudly like I was holding my breath all this time. I breathe hard to fake my relief and smile at her, "Thank you, Mother Heidi."

I hurriedly exit her office and race to the train station.

-

I enter the Church with my head down. After all, I am still banished, am I not? And everyone in the Church heard the commotion yesterday.

I smile weakly at the reception desk, and slowly make my way up to the Pope's office.

I lightly knocked.

"Come in."

I breathe and open the door.

"Azure."

I look at him in the eye and say, "Pope, I want to apologize."

He nods; I enter and close the door before heading to his desk.

He says in a low voice, "Why are you here?"

"Sir," I, too, lower my voice and launch into a summary of the documents I read, "Mother Heidi and Cardinal Suarez are colluding until now. The nunnery has an underground place they call the Guardian of Hell because of the statue situated above it, and they assigned Waterlily the Nun to oversee the operations they have below it."